Zimbabwe’s Parliament could not function properly until an agreement was reached on the allocation of ministries by the two key parties, the Movement for Democratic Change and the Zimbabwe African National Union- Patriotic Front.
The Speaker, Lovemore Moyo, who is also chairman of the MDC, said parliament was not able to move forward until agreement had been reached because the drafting of Constitutional Amendment number 19 which would incorporate the Global Political Agreement, a new budget and the creation of critical parliamentary committees could only be done when there were substantive ministers.
The new Justice Minister was supposed to spearhead the drafting of the constitutional amendment while the Finance Minister was supposed to prepare and present the new budget.
Moyo said Parliament could not set up the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders, which is responsible for selecting the chairpersons and members of all other committees, because some of the MPs who might end up as ministers.
Full cable:
Viewing cable 08HARARE933, PARLIAMENT’S HANDS TIED AS MPS AWAIT AGREEMENT
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Reference ID |
Created |
Released |
Classification |
Origin |
VZCZCXRO8037
OO RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSB #0933/01 2911102
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 171102Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3574
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 2360
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 2478
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0988
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1756
RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 2111
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 2532
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 4964
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHMFISS/EUCOM POLAD VAIHINGEN GE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1627
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HARARE 000933
SIPDIS
AF/S FOR B. WALCH
DRL FOR N. WILETT
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
ADDIS ABABA FOR ACSS
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR E. LOKEN AND L. DOBBINS
STATE PASS TO NSC FOR SENIOR AFRICA DIRECTOR B. PITTMAN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/17/2018
SUBJECT: PARLIAMENT’S HANDS TIED AS MPS AWAIT AGREEMENT
Classified By: CDA Katherine Dhanani for reason 1.4 (d)
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SUMMARY
——-
¶1. (C) The speaker of the Zimbabwean House of Assembly,
Lovemore Moyo, met with polecon chief and poloff on October
17 to discuss the current state of affairs and legislative
agenda in Parliament. Parliament is awaiting the outcome of
the ministerial negotiations between ZANU-PF and the two MDC
formations, and Moyo is unable to move forward with the MDC-T
legislative agenda until an agreement is reached. This is
delaying the drafting and passage of Constitutional Amendment
19 that will incorporate a ZANU-PF*MDC agreement if reached,
a new budget, and the creation of critical parliamentary
committees. Despite the lack of an agreement, Parliament
will remain in session. It has been vigorously debating
issues including sanctions, land, and humanitarian assistance
since it convened on October 14.
————————————–
Parliament Constrained by Lack of Deal
————————————–
¶2. (C) On October 17, Moyo discussed with us the current
state of affairs and legislative agenda in Parliament. He
explained that Parliament is currently constrained by the
lack of an agreement between the MDC and ZANU-PF on the
composition of a new Cabinet and ministerial allocations. In
the absence of an agreement, Parliament cannot proceed with
the passage of the proposed Constitutional Amendment 19, a
new budget, or even the creation of parliamentary committees.
Q (C) Moyo told us that once ministries are fully allocated
and ministers assigned to their posts, Amendment 19 will be
drafted by the Minister of Justice and the Minister of
Parliamentary Affairs. The understanding between the
negotiators is that ZANU-PF negotiator Patrick Chinamasa–who
is widely expected to be named Minister of Justice–would
produce a draft with input from MDC-T secretary-general
Tendai Biti and MDC-M secretary-general Welshman Ncube.
¶4. (C) Likewise, Parliament has to wait for the Ministry of
Finance to produce a new government budget before the House
can debate and vote on the proposal. As the Ministry of
Finance is still being contested, Moyo did not expect to see
a budget draft soon.
¶5. (C) Parliament is also constrained in constituting the
Committee on Standing Rules and Orders (CSRO) because some of
the MPs who would be considered for seats on the CSRO could
end up as ministers. (NOTE: The CSRO is the principal
parliamentary committee, and is responsible for selecting the
chairpersons and members of all other committees, including
the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, the media regulatory
authority, the Parliamentary Legal Committee, the Public
Accounts Committee, and the portfolio committees. END NOTE.)
—————————————–
Moyo’s Priorities and View on Cooperation
—————————————–
¶6. (C) Foremost among Moyo’s and the MDC’s legislative
priorities is amending the repressive Access to Information
and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) and Public Order and
Security Act (POSA). Moyo had already discussed this with
his legal team and told us that it was “one of the key things
we have to amend.” He commented that, “We have the numbers;
we can do it.” Another priority was ensuring that the
HARARE 00000933 002 OF 002
Broadcasting Services Act allowed for the successful
registration of new radio stations.
¶7. (C) Moyo told us that the functioning of his office is
limited by having to request foreign exchange funds from the
Office of the President. For instance, his request for funds
to travel to Kenya last week to speak with his Kenyan
counterpart and Kenyan Prime Minister Odinga was denied. He
said MDC lawyers are preparing a challenge to presidential
control of his office based on separation of powers
¶8. (C) In previous meetings with the Ambassador and USAID,
Moyo had requested U.S. assistance for himself, his office,
and key legislators to build parliamentary expertise and work
around his financial limitations. We told Moyo that USAID is
prepared to provide assistance but had not yet received
concrete proposals from him. He promised to provide these.
¶9. (C) Moyo cautioned that assistance, while welcome, should
be discrete because of ZANU-PF efforts to tarnish the MDC as
a puppet of the West. He mentioned that he had been invited
to travel to the U.K. to meet with the British speaker of the
House of Commons, and that this trip raises similar concerns.
¶10. (C) When asked how he would characterize the prospects
of cooperation between the parties in Parliament, Moyo said
there was still suspicion and sides are “still attacking and
sizing each other up.” He saw some willingness to work on
some specific issues dealing with human suffering and food
availability.
——————————-
Parliament’s First Two Sessions
——————————-
¶11. (SBU) In the absence of specific legislative activities,
legislators have been engaged in debate for the past two days
on President Mugabe’s speech at the opening of Parliament on
August 26. Poloff attended the session on October 16, and
for several hours MDC and ZANU-PF MPs alternately argued for
what they believed were the foremost parliamentary
priorities. ZANU-PF legislators focused on sanctions, whild
MDC legislators spoke about the needs of the Zimbabwean
people and concentrated on the shortage of food, water,
medical supplies, and the breakdown of public service.
——-
COMMENT
——-
¶12. (C) Though Parliament will remain in session, until an
agreement is reached on ministerial allocations, its hands
are tied, and we do not expect any significant legislative
progress. Speaker Moyo is also challenged by trying to build
cooperation between the various political factions, as well
as accessing resources to develop parliamentary expertise and
form international ties. END COMMENT
DHANANI
(27 VIEWS)
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